Blazing Dragons Virtual Season Episode 11 - Quest for Camelhot
by J-R Virtual Seasons
Summary: Merle the Wizard challenges King Allfire to send one dragon on a quest to save Camelhot. If the quest is not completed successfully, Camelhot will belong to Merle and the dragons will be at her mercy. Eager to prove himself, Sir Blaze sets out to battle the forces of evil and defeat Merle once and for all.
1. Chapter 1

All the dragons of Camelhot were gathered in the Great Hall for their evening meal. Flicker was trying to do the rounds with a decanter of wine, but Flame kept catching his eye and beckoning to him when she thought no one was looking. Hoping to forestall a possible scene, Flicker went over to her.

'Flame, everyone knows you don't like red wine,' Flicker whispered as he filled her cup. 'Shouldn't we wait until after the meal to talk?'

'Stepmother Griddle's watching me too closely - I daren't risk trying to sneak along to your room,' said Flame. 'Besides, I find that I've suddenly developed a taste for claret. Now, take a look at my father, will you?'

Flicker looked along the table to where King Allfire was sitting. Nothing about the sight struck him as unusual or interesting.

'Right,' Flicker said, 'I'm looking at him.'

'Do you think he looks like he's thinking?'

'Well… I don't know. What does he look like when he's thinking?'

'I'm not sure,' Flame confessed.

'What do you think he should be thinking about?' asked Flicker.

'You, of course!' Flame snarled, causing Sir Blaze and Sir Loungelot to cast sidelong looks in her direction. 'He should've announced by now that he's going to knight you! He's going to renege on our bargain, I just know he his! I tell you, Flicker - I'm perilously close to reneging myself at this point!'

'Yes, I'd noticed,' said Flicker, 'but we have to give your father time.'

'He's had plenty of time,' said Flame. 'And now Stepmother Griddle's been making veiled suggestions to me that I might like to consider marrying Sir Charash!'

'Oh dear,' said Flicker, 'I hope you're not going to do that.'

'Of course I'm not!' said Flame. 'I know what I want, Flicker, and I intend to get it… one way or the other. And if it has to be the other…'

'Flame, you agreed to let your father think about this and make his decision in his own time,' said Flicker. 'Let's at least wait until he says something - anything - about it to you before we even think of doing anything… well, drastic.'

'I've told you, Flicker - waiting for too long killed my mother, and I am not about to let it kill _me_!' said Flame. 'I mean, it's not like Daddy's got a lot on his mind at the moment, is it? We haven't heard a peep out of Count Geoffrey since we captured Evil Knight Number Two, and everything seems to be running smoothly around the castle. So what else does he have to think about? I'm giving him until the end of next week, Flicker. If he hasn't said something to me by then - or if there isn't an extremely good reason why his mind might be on other things - I'm going to do something, as you so eloquently put it, drastic.'

'Er, Flame,' said Flicker, 'I think we might be about to discover an extremely good reason that all our minds might be on other things - look!'

A pall of smoke had appeared between the trestle tables, just in front of where King Allfire and Queen Griddle were sitting. Slowly but surely, everyone noticed the phenomenon and stopped eating. As the dragons watched, the smoke reformed itself into a transparent image of an all too familiar figure.

'Heavens above,' said King Allfire, 'it's Merle the Wizard!'

'What is the meaning of this outrage?' Queen Griddle thundered, thumping the table so hard that everything fell over. 'What do you want here, you foul old witch?'

'What do I want?' Merle cackled. 'I want to issue a challenge - a challenge to you, King Allfire!'

'You wish to challenge me?' said King Allfire. 'On what terms, witch?'

'On my terms, dragon,' said Merle. 'And doesn't your precious Code of Chivalry stipulate, "A dragon knight must accept all challenges"?'

'Well… yes, it does,' said King Allfire.

'But surely there's a clause about not having to accept a challenge that the dragon knight would have no chance of winning!' said Sir Blaze. 'If there isn't, there certainly should be!'

'In this case, the dragon knight _will_ have a chance of winning,' said Merle. 'I intend to play by the rules this time - my rules, of course, but rules nonetheless. That way, my final victory will be nice and safe and official and aboveboard.'

'Do you expect us to accept your word on that, hag?' snarled Queen Griddle.

'Quite frankly, Queenie,' said Merle, 'I don't see that you have any choice but to do just that.'

'I'm afraid she's right, my dear,' said King Allfire. 'Very well, Merle - what are these terms of yours?'

'I'm bored of playing around with you, Allfire,' said Merle. 'I challenge you to a final confrontation - all or nothing! One of your dragon knights must complete a quest of my devising. If he fails, I get Camelhot - it's as simple as that.'

'And I suppose you're planning to pass Camelhot straight on to Count Geoffrey, are you?' said Sir Loungelot.

'What I do or don't intend to do with the place is none of your concern!' Merle snarled. 'The challenge has been issued, Allfire - you must accept it!'

'And this champion of Camelhot,' said King Allfire, 'will definitely be able to complete the quest if he does it properly, will he?'

'I've already said so, haven't I?' Merle snapped.

'And if he does, you'll renounce your claim on Camelhot?' said King Allfire.

'I shall renounce it,' said Merle, 'for now.'

'Well,' said King Allfire, 'then I suppose…'

'No,' said Sir Blaze. 'No, it's not enough.'

'What do you mean,' Merle sneered, 'it's not enough?'

'It's not enough that if Camelhot's champion wins, you'll leave us alone this time,' said Sir Blaze. 'You said it yourself, Merle - this is all or nothing! If we win, you leave us alone forever! You pack up your bag of magic tricks and you just let Camelhot be! If you win, the castle and all its occupants will be completely at your mercy - you can do with us what you will. What do you say to that, eh?'

'Now, steady on, Sir Blaze!' said Sir Loungelot.

'No - Blaze is right,' said King Allfire. 'What do you say, Merle - do you agree to the terms that Sir Blaze has just suggested?'

Merle seemed to hesitate for a moment. Sir Blaze shot her a supercilious look.

'So, the dragons want to play hardball, do they?' said Merle. 'All right - I agree to the terms. Have your champion meet me outside the gates of Camelhot at dawn tomorrow, Allfire. If he completes my quest successfully then none of you will ever see or hear from me again… but if he fails, you all belong to me!'

Merle's ear-piercing laughter filled the room as her image faded away. The dragons looked at each other with bewildered expressions on their faces, unable quite to take in the full magnitude of what had just happened.

'So,' said King Allfire, 'who is to be Camelhot's champion?'

'Loungelot!' Queen Griddle declared at once. 'There can be no other choice.'

'I wouldn't mind giving it a bash, sir,' said Sir Galahot. 'I mean, if it would please Your Majesties for me to do so.'

'Nor would I,' said Sir Hotbreath. 'I should be honoured to fight for Camelhot.'

'Aye, I too would be glad to take up the challenge,' said Sir Burnevere, 'if it is Your Majesties' wish.'

'Well,' said Flame, sounding rather petulant, 'I think there's really only one choice, if you'd all care to stop and think about it for a moment! Surely to God, the only one among us who has any chance of completing Merle's quest is -'

'Sir Blaze!' Flicker cut in quickly. 'Sir Blaze should do it!'

'Yes!' Sir Blaze declared, leaping to his feet. 'I set the terms of the challenge - it is only fair that I should carry them out. Flicker is right - this is my burden to bear, and mine alone! I beg you, Your Majesty - allow me to be the one.'

'Um, well…' King Allfire said uncertainly.

'Blaze dear, are you quite sure you know what you're saying?' said Queen Griddle. 'It could be very dangerous, you know.'

'And I am ready, Mumsey, to face that danger,' said Sir Blaze, 'and to defeat it! Oh, I know what you all think of me - a mediocre knight at best, unworthy and unable to stand up to Merle and save us all from her evil. But I am ready to prove you wrong!'

'We… we don't think that, Sir Blaze,' said King Allfire. 'Not anymore. So be it, then - if you are ready to take up this challenge, I am ready to place my trust in you.'

'As am I,' said Queen Griddle, 'if it's really what you want, dear.'

'I also, sir,' said Sir Galahot, rising to his feet.

'And me,' said Sir Hotbreath, doing the same.

'Aye, me too,' said Sir Burnevere. 'You and I have been in a few tight scrapes together, Blaze, and I know that there's nary a better knight than you to undertake this most dangerous of missions.'

'Yes, er… I believe in you too, Blaze,' said Sir Loungelot. 'I say, you wouldn't like to borrow Flicker to squire for you, I suppose? I'd be quite happy to lend him to you.'

'Thank you, Loungey, but I'm sure that would be against the rules of Merle's little game,' said Sir Blaze. 'Besides, this is a challenge I feel I must face alone.'

'Three cheers for Sir Blaze!' declared King Allfire. 'Hip-hip…'

'How do you know I wasn't going to suggest Blaze myself?' Flame whispered to Flicker, as cheers filled the Great Hall.

'Um… I'm sorry, Flame,' said Flicker. 'I just… I felt I had to step in because I was worried you might be about to… well, to ruin everything, if I may put it so bluntly. If you try to push me forward now, just when your father's promised to consider my future in his own time and his own way…'

'You're becoming arrogant, Flicker,' said Flame. 'You're so sure that I was going to say your name, aren't you? Dear me, so arrogant of you…'

But she smiled at him and squeezed his hand, so Flicker knew that she was not really annoyed with him.

* * *

Sir Blaze heard the drawbridge clatter shut behind him. Slipping an overstuffed knapsack onto his back, he stared around for any sign of Merle.

'I am here, witch!' he called.

'As am I, knight of Camelhot,' said Merle, as she popped into view just in front of Sir Blaze. 'My, my… Allfire sent _you_ , did he? I did wonder whether he might, after you shot your mouth off like that.'

'I'm not here under duress,' said Blaze. 'I am ready to face your challenge, Merle, just as the other dragons are ready to put their trust in me.'

'I can't help thinking that their trust might have been better placed elsewhere,' said Merle. 'Do you really think you can defeat me, little one?'

'Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?' said Blaze. 'And I'm not so little! Stop taunting me, witch, and let me get on with the quest.'

'As you wish, dragon,' said Merle. 'I'll see you for the endgame… unless you're dead by then, of course. And believe me, that is more than likely!'

Merle started cackling, and raised her arms above her head. Sir Blaze saw lightning flash before his eyes, and closed them instinctively.

* * *

Blaze opened his eyes to see that he was standing on a narrow ledge of rock. He saw a yawning chasm ahead of him, with a rickety wooden bridge stretching into the distance across it. Blaze stepped forward and peered over the precipice; the force of the wind rushing up from below almost knocked him off his feet.

'The way is perilous, is it not?'

Blaze whirled around to see who had spoken. A hooded figure was now standing next to him; the only visible feature protruding from the black cloak was a long green tail with a triangular pointed tip.

'Oh!' said Sir Blaze, allowing himself a moment to recover from his surprise. 'Are you part of Merle's quest?'

'As you are part of Merle's quest, then I suppose I must be too,' said the cloaked figure. 'You must cross this chasm, Sir Blaze. Have you had any thoughts on how you're going to do it?'

'My first thought was to fly across,' said Blaze, 'but I don't really fancy battling against those updraughts - I'd more than likely be dashed to pieces against the cliffs!'

'A wise and accurate deduction, Sir Blaze,' said the figure. 'Another means of crossing, then…'

'The bridge,' said Sir Blaze. 'But surely I won't be allowed just to walk across as merry as you please - not with Merle calling the shots!'

'The bridge has a guardian,' said the mysterious stranger. 'Just place a foot upon the first slat, and he will reveal himself to you.'

'Oh, right,' said Sir Blaze, turning to look at the bridge. 'But what will I…?'

Sir Blaze turned his head back, but the cloaked figure had disappeared. At a loss for anything else to do, Blaze approached the bridge and placed his left foot onto it. There was a flash of light and another figure appeared; as Sir Blaze had expected, this one was standing on the bridge in front of him, blocking his path.

'Hold!' a familiar voice commanded. 'I am the guardian of the bridge, and -'

'Sir Agraflame!' Sir Blaze cut in. 'What in the name of Herne the Hunter's horn are you doing here?'

'I told you, I'm the guardian of the bridge,' said Sir Agraflame. 'And he -'

'Are you working for Merle now?' Sir Blaze persisted. 'We all wondered how you'd managed to escape from Camelhot's highest security cell!'

'Merle rescued me,' said Sir Agraflame. 'But quite frankly, I wish I'd stayed in the dungeon. I am bound to her now, cousin - bound to her for all time! I thought she was giving me my freedom… but what kind of freedom is this?'

'Well, perhaps that will teach you to be such a naughty turncoat,' said Sir Blaze. 'You could have had everything at Camelhot, Agraflame, but you chose to betray us instead - I'll never forgive you for that, you know.'

'Nor should you,' said Sir Agraflame. 'Yet here I am, suffering my punishment as I deserve to… I know I shall never be able to sit at the Square Table, nor upon the throne of Toasting-Forkney, as I no longer really exist in your world… nor do I quite exist in this world, I suppose. But what of it - I deserve my fate, do I not?'

'Oh, cousin,' sighed Sir Blaze, 'you are in a pickle, aren't you? If I could help you…'

'But you _can't_ help me,' said Sir Agraflame. 'No one can help me. So we may as well get on with the business in hand, wouldn't you say?'

'What?' said Sir Blaze. 'Oh, the bridge! Yes, well, I suppose we should.'

'As I was trying to say earlier, then,' said Sir Agraflame. 'He who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.'

'Oh, I know this part!' Sir Blaze exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight. 'My name is Sir Blaze, my quest is for… well, for Camelhot, I suppose, and my favourite colour is chartreuse. Can I cross now?'

'I'm afraid not, cousin,' said Sir Agraflame, the ghost of a smile on his lips. 'I have three other questions for you… three rather harder questions, I'm afraid. Are you ready to hear my first?'

'I don't suppose I have a lot of choice, do I?' Sir Blaze sighed. 'All right, go on.'

'While travelling a most treacherous road, I met two brothers sitting at a fork in the path,' said Sir Agraflame. 'These brothers were well known for leading travellers a merry dance, for one of them always told the truth and the other one always lied, and no one knew which was which. I was not sure which way I should go to reach my destination, so I posed a question to one of the two brothers. His reply to my question was _the left-hand fork_ , and this told me at once which way I should go. What was the question I asked, and which fork did I take to reach my destination?'

'Does that count as two questions?' asked Sir Blaze.

'No,' said Sir Agraflame, 'it only counts as one.'

'Well, let's see now,' said Sir Blaze. 'You can't have asked him outright which way to go, because you wouldn't know whether he was lying or telling the truth. But if you asked him what his brother would say if you were to pose that question to him… yes, one would lie to you about the other telling the truth, and the other would tell the truth about the other one lying. So they'd both give you the same answer, and it would be the wrong one. So, you asked him which way his brother would tell you to go, and you took the right-hand fork.'

'Very good, cousin,' said Sir Agraflame. 'Answer me this, then. I know a word of letters three; add two and fewer there will be. What is the word?'

'Few,' said Sir Blaze. 'That was an easy one. Let's have the last question, then - I want to get on with my quest!'

'For this one, you have to pretend you're a human,' said Sir Agraflame. 'Well, you have to pretend you're a creature that can't produce its own fire, anyway. You have only one match, but you need to light a candle, a stove and a log fire. Which do you light first?'

'Hmm, well,' said Sir Blaze, 'I guess it wouldn't be the candle, because you could light that from either of the other two, but… hang on! This is a trick question, isn't it? You'd light the match first!'

'Very good, cousin,' said Sir Agraflame, as he began to fade away like a ghost. 'You have earned the right to cross the bridge. For what it's worth, I wish you luck with your quest.'

'Thank you,' said Sir Blaze. 'I… I'm sorry things have to be this way for you, Agraflame. If I there was anything I could do to change your fate…'

'Don't waste your time worrying about me, Blaze,' said Agraflame, almost lost to view now. 'I very much fear that now my fate is neither here nor there… just as I myself am neither here nor there…'

Sir Agraflame's voice died away, leaving no sign that he had ever been on the bridge. Sir Blaze set out across the chasm, placing each foot very carefully as he went. After walking for a very long time, he reached the other side. The bridge did not lead to another cliff, as Blaze had expected, but to a bright, sunlit garden.

* * *

Sir Blaze took a moment to drink in his surroundings. The garden was entirely enclosed by very tall hedges; when he looked back, he saw that the bridge and the chasm had completely disappeared. There was a small archway cut into one of the hedges on Blaze's right, while in the left-hand corner of the garden, an obviously female dragon with long blond hair was setting out a picnic on a rug.

'You must enter the maze, Sir Blaze.'

Blaze blinked at the female dragon, but he quickly realised that she was not the one who had spoken. The mysterious figure with the pointed tail had appeared by the archway, and was holding out one hand towards it.

'Must I?' said Blaze. 'What's in there?'

'The next stage of your quest,' said the mysterious figure. 'You must hurry, Sir Blaze - do not allow yourself to be waylaid!'

'At last you have arrived, brave sir knight. Do come and join me - the tea is just brewing, and I've made a jam sandwich for you.'

This time there could be no doubt that it was the female figure who had spoken. As Blaze turned to look at her, she beamed at him and fluttered her eyelashes, before tossing her golden hair over one shoulder.

'Well now,' said Sir Blaze, looking from one figure to the other, 'just whom should I trust, I wonder?'

'You can trust in me, Sir Blaze,' said the beautiful woman. 'No knight can be expected to complete a quest without a tea break from time to time.'

'But I've brought a flask of tea and some cheese sandwiches,' said Sir Blaze. 'They're in my knapsack - I always come prepared, you know.'

'Your sandwiches will be stale by now,' said the alluring stranger. 'And your tea will have gone cold, I shouldn't wonder. What I have to offer you, Sir Blaze, is tantalisingly fresh and pleasingly warm in all the right places.'

'Do you doubt my word, Sir Blaze?' said the figure by the maze. 'Did I not tell you the truth before, about the bridge and its guardian?'

'Yes, you did,' said Sir Blaze. 'But I suppose you could have been trying to lull me into a false sense of security.'

'That's right,' said the woman, 'he was. You don't want to listen to him, Sir Blaze - he's not even supposed to be here! Only I know how you can find the true path from my garden. Come over here and take some tea with me, and I'll tell you how to leave when we've finished… unless you decide you'd like to stay a little longer, of course.'

Blaze's eyes darted between the two figures; he was fairly sure he knew which one he should trust, but he was reluctant to rush into a decision that might doom Camelhot.

'I'm not going to plead with you, Sir Blaze,' said the cloaked figure. 'Make your choice; it's nothing to do with me anymore. All I can do is urge you to think about what I have said to you, and to remember that you are a Knight of the Square Table.'

With that, the mysterious figure melted away into the ether. The alluring female dragon smiled.

'Thank goodness for that,' she said. 'Now that he's gone, we can get on with our picnic, can't we?'

'Er… no,' said Sir Blaze. 'No, I don't think we can. Thanks for the offer and all that, but I'm sure you've been put here specially to waylay me… and besides, you're not really my type.'

With that, Sir Blaze strode towards the entrance to the maze. The beautiful woman began to cry. When Blaze did not turn back, she began to scream.

'You must!' she fumed. 'You must take tea with me! No man can resist my charms. Get back over here and eat your sandwich!'

Sir Blaze placed one foot into the maze. He chanced a look back; the female figure was now jumping up and down in annoyance, with steam pouring from her mouth and nostrils. She opened her mouth to scream again; she no longer looked remotely beautiful or alluring. Blaze turned away and stepped into the maze. The opening in the hedge closed up behind him immediately, completely cutting off the enraged screams of the would-be temptress.

* * *

As he did not seem to be in any immediate danger, Blaze sat down on the soft ground and leant against the wall of the maze for support. He then proceeded to unwrap his cheese sandwiches and make a start on drinking his tea.

'It's not remotely cold,' he remarked to himself. 'I knew Flicker's new Yoom-Vack Flask wouldn't let me down.'

'Having a nice sit-down, are you?'

Blaze looked up to see the mysterious cloaked figure standing over him. He hurried to finish his mouthful of cheese sandwich.

'That beautiful girl may have been an evil waylayer, but she was right about one thing,' said Sir Blaze. 'I was due a rest.'

'Well, I advise you not to rest here for too long,' said the mysterious figure. 'You must find your way to the centre of the maze, where a further test awaits you. Do you know how you're going to find it?'

'Oh, that's easy,' said Sir Blaze, draining his teacup. 'To find the centre of a maze, you just put your hand on one wall - it doesn't matter whether it's left or right - and follow it as far as you can. That works for finding the exit from a maze as well, if you do it in the other direction.'

'Hmm… I'm beginning to wonder whether you really need my help at all,' said the mysterious figure.

'Oh, I'm very grateful for your advice,' said Sir Blaze, polishing off another cheese sandwich. 'Please don't think I'm not. I don't suppose you know what sort of test is awaiting me at the centre of the maze, do you?'

'Alas,' said the figure, 'that is something I cannot tell you.'

'Right then,' said Blaze, jumping to his feet, 'I guess I'll just have to go and find out for myself, won't I?'

* * *

'Dear oh dear, I think that last part must have been a tremendous detour,' said Sir Blaze, as he emerged through a gap between two hedges. 'Still, the right path is seldom the easiest.'

'Talking to yourself, Sir Blaze? They do say it's the first sign of madness, you know.'

'It helps me to get my bearings,' Sir Blaze told the hooded figure that had just appeared in front of him. 'I must confess, I wasn't expecting to see you again until I reached the centre of the maze, seeing as that's where my next test is meant to be.'

'You are taking a most perilous path,' said the cloaked figure. 'This way is fraught with danger. Are you sure you wouldn't like to turn back, and try to find a safer way?'

'I can't stop following this wall,' said Sir Blaze. 'I'd be lost in no time! I've chosen my path, and I'll just have to stick to it now.'

'Well said, Sir Blaze,' said the figure, 'but I repeat my warning - the way is perilous, so you'd best be on your guard.'

With that, the mysterious figure melted away. Blaze stepped forward. He noticed that the ground under his feet was becoming less and less grassy; finally he found himself walking on small stones and lumps of boggy clay.

'Yuck,' he remarked. 'Well, that'll teach me not to bring along a change of shoes.'

The ground in front of Sir Blaze suddenly erupted with a boggy squelch and a stony rattle; Blaze suddenly found himself face-to-face with a figure of living clay.

'Oh dear, this is all I need,' he sighed. 'Are you some kind of Gollum?'

The creature did not reply, but swept clumsily at Sir Blaze with a massive, soggy hand. Blaze leapt out of the way.

'Not a great talker, eh?' said Sir Blaze. 'All right, then.'

He drew his sword and lopped off the creature's right arm. This did him little good, however, as a new arm immediately sprouted in its place.

'Not that way, then,' said Sir Blaze. 'All right, let's see if I can't make you feel a bit hot under the collar!'

Sir Blaze unleashed a sheet of fire at the creature of earth, eliciting an inhuman roar accompanied by the distinct sound of cracking. Blaze cut off his stream of fire and saw that the creature was looking decidedly less boggy and squelchy than it had been. Spurred on by this sight, Blaze raised his sword. The creature lumbered forward; Blaze struck out. The sword made contact with the creature's torso, which immediately began to crack and rend. The cracks spread out and widened considerably, before the creature crumbled to dust on the stony ground.

'You baked him,' said a familiar voice from further along the hedge-lined passage.

'Of course,' said Sir Blaze, squinting past the cloud of fine clay dust to catch a glimpse of the hooded figure. 'I knew that the clay would become unstable if it got hot enough, so I just gave it a blast. All it took then was one swipe of my sword to reduce that horrible creature to superheated rubble!'

'You are growing in confidence, I think,' said the mysterious figure. 'Remember, you still have a long way to go - you haven't reached the centre of the maze yet.'

'Then I'd best press on,' said Sir Blaze.

'Yes,' said the figure, as it melted away into the darkness, 'you better had.'


	2. Chapter 2

After walking for what seemed like several hours, Sir Blaze reached the centre of the maze. He was standing on a large square of grass which was boxed in by hedges; there was no way in or out apart from the gap he had just walked through. A small stream ran across the grassy quadrangle, disappearing under the hedges on either side. On the other side of the stream, a creature with the body of a horse and the head and torso of a man was scraping at the ground with its hooves.

'You're a centaur,' Sir Blaze could not help but remark.

'And you are late,' said the centaur. 'I had begun to think that I'd be waiting for you forever, dragon knight.'

'I may not have taken the quickest or safest route to the centre of the maze, but I took the most reliable,' said Sir Blaze. 'I'm not aware of any particular time limit on this quest, after all - I want to win, no matter how long it takes me.'

'Well said, sir knight,' said the centaur. 'I see that patience is a virtue you possess in Spades - now let us see about your strength.'

'My strength?' said Sir Blaze.

'Will you fight me to prove yourself?' asked the centaur.

'Well… I'd rather not fight you,' said Sir Blaze. 'Not because I am afraid to, but because I see no good reason to - mindless violence is, after all, discouraged by the Code of the Square Table. But if I must fight you to save Camelhot, I'll do it.'

'You must prove your strength against mine,' said the centaur. 'I see no alternative to a good, old-fashioned fight. Do you?'

'Let me think for a moment,' said Sir Blaze. 'Ah, I know!'

He slipped his knapsack from his back and rummaged around inside. He withdrew a long coil of rope, unfurled it, and tossed one end across the stream to the centaur.

'Aha, a tug of war - a marvellous idea!' said the centaur. 'This way we can test our strength against each other without either of us getting hurt.'

'Except perhaps a little rope burn,' said Sir Blaze. 'The first to fall into the stream loses - what do you say?'

'I agree to your terms, dragon knight,' said the centaur. 'On my mark, then - three, two, one, pull!'

Sir Blaze found himself staggering towards the stream at an alarming speed. Forcing himself not to panic, he planted his feet as firmly as he could and began to haul on the rope; he heard the centaur's four hooves churning the grassy area into mud.

'You must win this tug of war, Sir Blaze,' said the cloaked figure, who had suddenly popped into the picture behind the centaur. 'If you do not prove your strength, Merle will claim victory and Camelhot will be lost!'

'I… know!' snorted Sir Blaze, squeezing his eyes shut as he strained against the centaur. 'But I can't… really talk about it… right now!'

Blaze opened his eyes and saw that the figure had disappeared again; clearly he felt that he had made as much of a contribution as he could to this particular trial. Blaze opened his mouth and let out a guttural roar, surprising himself by how deep it was, as he threw all his strength into hauling on the rope. The centaur let out a cry of surprise and stumbled forward; Sir Blaze was pleased and relieved to hear the creature's two front feet splashing into the stream.

'Well done, Sir Blaze,' said the centaur, shaking out his aching hands. 'You have proven your strength, and plenty more besides.'

'Thank you,' said Blaze, coiling up the rope and returning it to his knapsack. 'But where do I go from here?'

'I'm afraid that the only way out,' said the centaur, 'is to go down.'

Sir Blaze was forced to steady himself yet again as the ground began to move beneath his feet. There was the sound of gushing water, as though a bath was being emptied, and Sir Blaze found himself looking down into a wide fissure in the ground where the stream had been only moments before.

'You mean I have to go down there?' said Sir Blaze.

'To save Camelhot,' said the centaur, 'I fear you must.'

Sir Blaze nodded, spread his wings, and stepped into the fissure. He tried to catch the air currents as he fell, but his descent still seemed much too fast. At last he hit solid ground, and fell over in the darkness.

* * *

'So, you made it,' said an all too familiar voice. 'I told you we'd meet again for the endgame, didn't I? But I'm the one who's going to win… in the end.'

Sir Blaze blinked against the harsh light that suddenly filled his vision. He saw that he was in a small, dank cave; slime and moss clung to the walls, and the rock underfoot was noticeably damp. Merle was standing over him; Blaze quickly rectified this situation by scrambling to his feet, so that he was standing over her instead.

'I might've known you'd be skulking around in a place like this, Merle,' said Blaze. 'I've passed all your tests - why don't you just accept defeat gracefully and renounce your claim on Camelhot?'

'Because I am Merle the Wizard!' Merle shrieked. 'Do you truly believe that it's just your precious castle I want? I want more than that - a great deal more - and Camelhot is going to help me get it! But first I am going to destroy you!'

'You're not planning to cheat, are you?' said Sir Blaze. 'I thought you wanted to do things by the book this time.'

'Who's cheating?' said Merle. 'I told you, dragon - we're playing by my rules! And my rules state that you have to defeat me in person if you are to complete my quest… and that is something you can never do!'

'Well, we'll just see about that,' said Sir Blaze, drawing his sword. 'Have at you, you loathsome old crone!'

Sir Blaze lunged forward, but Merle disappeared. She popped back into view behind him and unleashed a powerful stream of magic from her right palm; Sir Blaze turned around and threw himself to one side in one awkward - yet successful - motion.

'You cannot defeat me, you lily-livered fop!' Merle sneered. 'Do you really think that your king or your fellow knights see you as anything but a pathetic joke? Do you really think anyone does?'

'Yes!' Sir Blaze declared. 'I know who I am and I'm proud of it, and I know that the others have learned to respect me in spite of my slightly… outlandish ways. I am a Knight of the Square Table… and whatever else I am, I'd rather be anything than a revolting old crone like you! You are empty; hollow! You have nothing but evil inside you! You're disgusting; diseased; a loathsome, hideous disgrace!'

Merle screamed and blasted the floor of the cave; Sir Blaze leapt nimbly out of the way in a rather stylish manner.

'I think I won our little battle of insults, Merle, don't you?' said Blaze. 'I'd never normally speak that way to a lady, of course, but you did start it and… well, you're not exactly a lady, are you?'

'I've had enough of you, Sir Blaze!' Merle roared. 'I am going to finish this now!'

Merle threw up a blanket of black energy, but Sir Blaze leapt into the air and catapulted right over the magical assault, using his wings to guide him carefully back down to the ground. As Merle whirled around to face him, he unleashed a colossal sheet of fire at her; she screamed as black smoke began to issue from various parts of her body, but she disappeared before any real damage could be done.

'Are you ready to yield, witch?' said Sir Blaze, as Merle faded back into view on the opposite side of the cave.

'Never!' Merle snarled. 'Camelhot will be mine, and you will no longer stand in my way, little dragon!'

With that, Merle began to grow. When she was about twice as tall as Sir Blaze, she swept her right hand towards him in a gesture of power; his sword was wrenched from his grip and went flying across the cave.

'Now,' said Merle, 'I win!'

'Are you sure these are the rules?' said Sir Blaze.

'They've just been changed!'

Merle unleashed another round of black energy, this one much larger than the last. Sir Blaze did the only thing he could think of and held up his knapsack in front of him to try and deflect the worst of the blast, but the deadly magic never reached him; it was absorbed by the cloaked figure that had just appeared between the two combatants. Surprisingly, the spell had no effect on him whatsoever.

'No!' Merle roared. 'How can this be? Who are you? That blast should have killed you, as I meant it to kill the whelp!'

'Merle, you overestimate your abilities,' said the mysterious figure, 'for even you cannot kill someone who is already dead!'

With that, the figure threw his cloak aside. Sir Blaze suddenly realised why the triangular pointed tail had seemed so familiar; it was the spitting image of his own.

'Sir Herman the Near-Sighted!' Merle snarled. 'But how is this possible?'

'I knew my son would need a helping hand to win your game, witch,' said Sir Herman. 'After all, when has Merle the Wizard ever played by the rules? So, I decided to lend young Blaze a hand. He hardly needed my help, of course; I think the best I can claim to have given him is moral support. Until you decided to change your own rules, of course.'

'Yes… yes, and according to the rules, you've just lost the game for your precious son!' Merle declared delightedly. 'He was to complete this quest on his own - no outside help whatsoever was to be allowed! And now…'

'He has done exactly that,' said Sir Herman. 'I am only here because Blaze is here; he is my son, and so - wherever he goes and whatever he does - he always carries a part of me with him.'

'Oh, Father,' said Sir Blaze, 'is that really true?'

'Of course it is, my son,' said Sir Herman. 'The bond of love that exists between parent and child cannot ever be broken, even by death. You and I loved each other in life, Blaze, and so we shall always love each other. All that I had, all that I learned, everything I felt... all this - and more - I bequeathed to you. And so, my son, you carry me inside you, all the days of your life.'

Sir Blaze did not know what to say, but he was not too disappointed about this because he thought his voice might waver a little if he tried to speak.

'No!' Merle fumed. 'It's still cheating - Blaze hasn't won! I shall destroy you - I shall destroy you both!'

Again and again Merle fired her black magic, and again and again Sir Herman intercepted it. She screamed in rage and frustration, gradually shrinking back to her former size as she spent her energy.

'The game is over, Merle!' said Sir Herman. 'Leave this place now, and nevermore darken Camelhot's doorstep, just as you agreed!'

'You cannot… defeat me!' Merle snarled, struggling for breath. 'Do you really think… it is so easy… to defeat… evil?'

'But we _have_ defeated evil, Merle,' said Sir Blaze. 'We've done it with the only thing that can defeat it - love!'

Merle screamed, and then seemed to explode in a shower of sparks. Her echoing roars gradually died away, along with the magic light she had conjured. Once more, the cave was bathed in darkness.

* * *

Sir Blaze withdrew a wooden torch from his knapsack and ignited it with his breath, bathing the cave in flickering orange light. He had been very much afraid that his father would have disappeared but, much to his surprise and delight, Sir Herman the Near-Sighted was still there.

'I… thank you, Father,' said Sir Blaze.

'Don't mention it,' said Sir Herman. 'Ah, Blaze, how proud I have been to see you grow and mature into such a fine young dragon knight.'

'Have you really seen it all?' said Sir Blaze.

'Of course,' said Sir Herman. 'Everything that you have seen, I have also seen. I was there when you were knighted - I couldn't have been more proud! I was there when you cleared my name, the time Merle was casting aspersions against the nobility of my birth. I was there when you… well, I've always been there, basically.'

'My time on the Isle of Dwight made me feel closer to you than ever before,' said Blaze. 'When I discovered that you'd won the giant over by talking to him and helping him rather than fighting him, I felt extremely pleased and proud because… well, because I thought - or rather, I hoped - that it was what I would have done too.'

'Yes, I did always feel rather proud of myself for getting to the bottom of that situation with words and kindness,' said Sir Herman. 'If only more people would stop and talk - and, perhaps more importantly, listen - instead of fighting all the time, the world would be a far better place than it is now, I'm sure. Oh, not that I want to sound smug about it, of course. But Blaze, you proved today - amongst so many other things - that my course of action for dealing with Dwight would indeed have been yours also. Do you not remember the centaur? When you said you didn't want to fight him for no good reason, and you came up with a much safer and less brutal form of competition, that spoke volumes about who you really are… and I'm prouder than ever today to be able to say that you are my son.'

'Thank you, Father,' said Sir Blaze, smiling broadly. 'I must admit, I'm feeling rather proud of myself right now. Have I really saved Camelhot for good? Will Merle keep her word and leave us alone from now on?'

'Who can say?' said Sir Herman. 'But the important thing is that you beat her, Blaze - you took her on and you won, by her own rules no less. Whatever she does or doesn't do in the future, that gives you - and Camelhot - a certain advantage over Merle; an advantage that she may not anticipate, but that she won't be able to overcome.'

'Oh, well, that sounds useful,' said Sir Blaze. 'Hey, what's going on? Why has everything suddenly gone all blurry?'

'Merle's magic is deserting this place; you are going back to Camelhot,' said Herman.

'Oh, I see,' said Blaze. 'Father, will I ever see you again?'

'See me? Perhaps not. But I'll always be there, my son; wherever you are, I will always be there too.'

Sir Blaze saw a flash of light and felt a lurching sensation. He stumbled forwards, blinked several times, and found himself looking up at the towering front wall of Camelhot. He reached out and pressed the bell, and the drawbridge came down.

'Hooray, I'm back!' said Sir Blaze. 'And I saved Camelhot! Mumsey… King Allfire… everyone - I saved Camelhot!'

* * *

From his bed, King Allfire squinted through the thick fog of airborne talcum powder at the indistinct shape of his wife, who was standing somewhere on the other side of the room.

'Griddle, do come to bed,' said King Allfire. 'Surely you've put on enough of that stuff, haven't you?'

'I suppose so,' said Queen Griddle, emerging from the dusty cloud. 'Oh dear, I did get rather carried away, didn't I? It's just that I've been thinking…'

'What about, my dear?' asked Allfire.

'About my obnoxious nephew, Sir Agraflame,' said Griddle. 'It seems to me that now he's out of the way, and seeing as Sir Gasflame is no longer with us, there's no one left to take over from my former brother-in-law King Hot except young Charash.'

'That's all you managed to pick up from the story of Sir Blaze's adventure, is it?' said Allfire. 'That Sir Agraflame now exists in a state of limbo between life and death, so Sir Charash is heir to the throne of Toasting-Forkney.'

'It's not _all_ I managed to pick up!' said Griddle. 'But it is, nevertheless, one of the things I picked up. I'm immensely proud of everything Blaze has achieved today, and if he really has rid us of that foul little witch forever then he truly is the greatest knight in Camelhot, but I still can't help thinking about the future, Allfire! Your throne is not secure - imagine if you died in your sleep tonight… God knows, that's the last thing I'd want to happen, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility… and Flame woke up tomorrow morning to find that she was Queen! Without a husband and - perhaps more importantly - without an heir, she would be in a very weak position as a monarch and Camelhot could be seen as easy pickings for some unscrupulous usurper… your evil nephew Scorchred, for example!'

'My dear, we can't live our lives on the assumption that we might be dead in the morning,' said Allfire. 'The security of my lineage is always on my mind, and Flame's future safety and happiness are my top priority, but I still don't think we'd have anything to gain by trying to force her to marry Sir Charash! In fact, I rather suspect that we would be in severe danger of losing a great deal… maybe everything.'

'But Charash is coming back to join us very soon, isn't he?' said Griddle. 'I'm sure Griselda will make a fuss of him and his newly bestowed knighthood for as long as she can, but then… well, seeing as he's going to be here anyway, it would be so easy just to give him and Flame a little push in the right direction.'

'No, Griddle,' said Allfire, 'we're not going to do that.'

'You've read that letter from King Spark that came this afternoon, have you?' said Griddle, sliding into bed beside her husband.

'Oh, yes!' said Allfire. 'Such wonderful news - a healthy, bouncing baby boy for Princess Solder and Sir Wick, hatched in the early hours of the morning in the presence of his parents and his grandfather. I'm going to announce the good news at breakfast tomorrow - it should lift everyone's spirits, especially now that Merle's threat is no longer hanging over us.'

'King Spark has been extremely sensible, in my opinion,' said Griddle. 'He has no male heir and no wife, so he marries off his daughter to a sensible suitor and the pair of them have a nice strong boy to continue Spark's line!'

'He didn't marry Solder off, Griddle,' said Allfire. 'He gave his blessing for Solder to marry the dragon she loves… and I shall do the same thing for Flame, when the time is right.'

'But she'll never get married off her own bat!' said Griddle.

'Have a little patience, my dear,' said Allfire. 'Flame does want to get married… but these things mustn't be rushed. That is not to say, of course, that I am not well aware of the importance of securing a strong future for any monarch's lineage. Griddle, I… I didn't inherit Camelhot myself - I won it, in battle.'

'Did you really?' said Griddle. 'Goodness me, and I'd never even thought to ask! I'd always just assumed…'

'Yes, I rather gathered that you had,' said Allfire. 'Don't get the wrong idea - I didn't steal the castle from someone who had a stronger claim on it than I did. I just… well, I didn't inherit it, in the strictest sense of the word. But I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that - when the time comes - Flame will be able to inherit Camelhot, and that she has an heir of her own to inherit the place from her in the distant future… or that she has a decent chance of being able to acquire one, anyway. Now, let's hear no more about this until I make my announcement on the matter.'

'You mean you've decided something already?' Griddle asked keenly.

'Well, perhaps,' said Allfire. 'I'm too tired to think about it at the moment, though - let's go to sleep.'

King Allfire blew out the candle; silence filled the darkened room for several moments.

'Have Princess Solder and Sir Wick named their son yet?' Queen Griddle's voice emerged from the darkness. 'I didn't read all the way to the end of the page.'

'Yes, they have,' said King Allfire. 'He is to be called Ignatio.'

'Prince Ignatio,' said Queen Griddle. 'Yes, I like that - a fine, strong, commanding name for an heir apparent, which he doubtless will be eventually.'

'Yes, I agree,' said King Allfire. 'He won't technically be a prince until his mother becomes Queen, of course, seeing as he is descended from the current monarch through the female line, not the male.'

'That rule is very sexist, really, isn't it?' said Queen Griddle.

'Yes… yes, it is. Goodnight, my dear.'

'Goodnight, Allfire.'

* * *

Flicker was just about to climb into bed when he heard a scrabbling sound at his window. As he looked across the room, he saw Flame hauling herself over the sill.

'Give me a hand, will you?' she said. 'Your window is too narrow!'

Flicker hurried over to Flame and helped her to climb into the room. As she smoothed down her rumpled dress, he found himself unable to do anything but stare at her.

'What's the matter, Flicker?' said Flame. 'You look like you've never seen me before in your life!'

'Well… I haven't ever seen you climbing through my window in the middle of the night before,' said Flicker. 'I really don't think you should be here, Flame.'

He cast an anxious look over his shoulder at the door, but she grabbed his snout and turned his head back to face her.

'I just had to come and talk to you,' said Flame. 'Don't worry - nobody saw me.'

'I hope you're right about that,' said Flicker. 'What do you want to talk about?'

'I want to talk to you about all sorts of things,' said Flame. 'I'm tired of snatching surreptitious snippets of conversation when you're serving at the dinner table - I want to talk to you properly again!'

'I want that too, Flame,' said Flicker. 'And we will, just as soon as your father -'

'My end-of-next-week deadline still stands!' said Flame. 'Merle is gone, possibly forever, so Daddy has no excuse for not devoting his time to his decision about you! But that's not what I came here to say. When we were all in danger of falling into Merle's clutches, and probably ending up as imprisoned thralls like Sir Agraflame, it really got me thinking… and I realised that I'd just have to say something before the end came - something that I really should have said a long time ago.'

'But you don't have to say it now, do you?' said Flicker. 'Sir Blaze won; the end isn't coming after all… not today, at any rate.'

'I know,' said Flame, 'but I still want to say it.'

'I see,' said Flicker. 'And just whom do you want to say this something to?'

'I want to say it to the attractive young stable boy that I accidentally bumped into on my fourteenth birthday,' said Flame.

'Oh, right,' said Flicker. 'Well, if he was here, what would you want to tell him?'

'I'd want to tell him that I cherish the time we spent together… and that even if I only saw him for a few moments, it always made me happy,' said Flame. 'And I'd want to tell him that I love him and that I'll always love him, and that no matter what happened to Camelhot, I know he always tried his best to help us.'

'Well,' said Flicker, 'I know that if he could hear you say that, he'd be grateful.'

'Yes, I'm sure he would,' said Flame. 'Well, that was all I wanted to say, really… for now, anyway. Goodnight, Flicker.'

'Goodnight, Flame.'

Flame turned to leave, but when she was almost at the window she turned around and ran back to Flicker. She placed the softest of kisses on his cheek, then dashed back to the window and threw herself out into the night. Flicker came to stand by the sill; he watched Flame gliding down into the moonlit courtyard, and sighed to himself.


End file.
